Drum brakes - construction

Abstract

Drum brake arrangement (1), characterized in that it comprises: a drum ring (10) having an inner peripheral surface (111) against which a drum brake shoe abuts, and a plurality of drum connecting holes (121) arranged around the inner peripheral surface (111); a disc (20) having a central bore (20a) and a plurality of disc combination holes (24) arranged on an inner wall of the central bore (20a); a connecting seat (30) having a central region (322) for fastening with an axle bolt and a plurality of seat connecting holes (34) arranged around the central region (322), wherein the specific gravity of a material of the connecting seat (30) is smaller than the specific gravity of a material of the drum ring (10); and a plurality of fastening elements (40) which are inserted into the drum connecting holes (121) of the drum ring (10), the disc connecting holes (24) of the disc (20) and the seat connecting holes (34) of the connecting seat (30) in order to firmly connect the drum ring (10), the disc (20) and the connecting seat (30) to one another, so that at least a part of the drum ring (10) is arranged in the central bore (20a) of the disc (20) and the connecting seat (30) is coupled to the drum ring (10) and has a part arranged in the central bore (20a) of the disc (20) and a part protruding from the central bore (20a).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates generally to braking systems and, more particularly, to a drum brake assembly. 2. Description of the state of the art

[0002] The conventional drum brake parking brake assembly includes a drum for a drum brake and a disc for a disc brake. The drum is arranged in the center of the disc to form a hat-like structure. The drum has an inner peripheral surface against which brake shoes abut for friction and an end surface for attachment with axle bolts. The drum and disc are usually integrally formed by casting or forging, or the drum and disc are manufactured separately by casting or forging and then welded or bolted together.

[0003] Because the drum must withstand the friction and contact of the brake shoes and be quite strong, it is usually made of cast iron, which makes it heavy. This not only increases the overall weight of the vehicle but also impairs transmission efficiency, necessitating improvements. Furthermore, an industry goal is to firmly connect the drum and disc in a way that facilitates assembly and disassembly. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention was developed in consideration of the above circumstances. An object of the present invention is to provide a drum brake assembly or structure that has a lightweight overall structure and high structural rigidity and wear resistance.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a drum brake assembly which is stable in its assembled structure and easy to assemble and disassemble.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a drum brake assembly including a drum ring, a disc, a connecting seat, and a plurality of fastening elements. The drum ring includes an inner peripheral surface against which a drum brake shoe abuts, and a plurality of drum connecting holes arranged around the inner peripheral surface. The disc is configured to abut against a disc brake pad and includes a center hole and a plurality of disc connecting holes arranged on an inner wall of the center hole. The connecting seat includes a central portion that can be fastened with an axle bolt and a plurality of seat connecting holes arranged around the central portion. The specific gravity of the material of the connecting seat is lower than the specific gravity of the material of the drum ring.The plurality of fasteners are inserted into the drum connecting holes of the drum ring, the disc connecting holes of the disc, and the seat connecting holes of the connecting seat to connect the drum ring, the disc, and the connecting seat such that at least a part of the drum ring is located in the central opening of the disc, and the connecting seat is coupled to the drum ring and has a part located in the central opening of the disc and another part protruding from the central opening.

[0007] As a result, the drum ring and the connecting seat provided in the present invention can be connected to form a drum similar to that in the conventional drum brake assembly. That is, the inner peripheral surface of the drum ring is formed so that the brake shoes can abut against it for friction, and the connecting seat serves to firmly connect the drum ring to the disc and is designed to be fastened with the axle bolts. Furthermore, in the drum brake assembly of the present invention, the specific gravity of the material of the connecting seat is smaller than the specific gravity of the material of the drum ring. For example, the material of the connecting seat is made of aluminum alloy, and the material of the drum ring is made of cast iron.Compared to conventional drums made entirely of cast iron, the drum of the present invention, which is a combination of a drum ring and a connecting seat, is lighter overall. Furthermore, the drum ring made of a material with a relatively higher specific gravity can impart the desired rigidity and wear resistance to the drum, thus achieving the objective of the present invention.

[0008] The drum ring material is preferably cast iron or steel, the disc material is cast iron, steel, or a composite material made of ceramic and carbon fiber, and the connecting seat material is aluminum alloy. The aluminum alloy connecting seat can make the overall structure lightweight. The cast iron or steel drum ring can provide the drum with high rigidity and wear resistance.

[0009] The drum ring preferably comprises a ring body and a fixing ring plate that is annularly connected to the ring body and extends horizontally and radially. The inner peripheral surface is provided on the ring body. The drum connection holes penetrate the fixing ring plate. The configuration of the fixing ring plate allows the fixing ring plate to be in surface contact with the inner wall of the central hole of the disc, thereby facilitating the connection or separation of the drum ring, the disc, and the connection seat, and ensuring that they are firmly connected to each other.

[0010] The inner wall of the central opening of the disc preferably has a plurality of projections. The projections have the drum connection holes. The mounting ring plate of the drum ring rests against the projections of the disc such that the drum connection holes are aligned with the disc connection holes. This makes the arrangement of the drum ring and the disc relatively more balanced, which can improve the stability of their connection.

[0011] The connecting seat preferably comprises a seat tube and a seat space formed in the seat tube. The annular body of the drum ring is received in the seat space of the connecting seat and is in surface contact with the inner surface of the seat tube. The arrangement in which the annular body of the drum ring is received in the seat tube of the connecting seat can protect the annular body of the drum ring and prevent deformation of the annular body of the drum ring. In addition, the annular body is in direct contact with the inner surface of the seat tube, thereby connecting the drum ring and the connecting seat relatively more firmly.

[0012] The disc preferably includes a plurality of projections forming the inner wall of the central hole. The disc connection holes each penetrate the projections. The projections can improve the structural strength of the disc and connect and secure the drum ring and the disc relatively more firmly.

[0013] The fastener preferably comprises a bolt and a nut. The bolt is inserted through the drum connection hole of the drum ring, the disc connection hole of the disc, and the seat connection hole of the connecting seat and screwed into the nut, so that the drum ring, the disc, and the connecting seat are clamped between a head portion of the bolt and the nut. This allows the drum ring, the disc, and the connecting seat to be firmly connected and fastened together.

[0014] The fastening device preferably comprises a bolt, a sleeve, a spacer, and a nut. The spacer is clamped between a rear side of the disc and a front side of the connecting seat and includes a through-hole. The sleeve includes an abutment portion and an insertion portion that are connected to each other, and a sleeve through-bore that penetrates the abutment portion and the insertion portion. The insertion portion of the sleeve is arranged in the disc connecting hole, the seat connecting hole, and the spacer through-hole. The bolt includes a head portion and a shank portion that are connected to each other. The shank portion is inserted through the sleeve through-bore and includes a threaded portion.The nut is tightly screwed onto the threaded portion so that the drum ring, washer, spacer, connecting seat and stop portion of the sleeve are clamped between the head portion of the bolt and the nut.

[0015] The sleeve of the fastener preferably includes two grooves formed on the stop portion. Each of the seat connection holes includes a recess. The recess has an inner bottom surface. An inner edge of the inner bottom surface is received in the groove, allowing the sleeve of the fastener to fit perfectly against the connection seat.

[0016] The sleeve of the fastener preferably comprises two opposing mounting surfaces. The mounting surfaces are received in the seat connection hole of the connecting seat. This ensures the correct alignment of the sleeve to the connecting seat.

[0017] The fastener's spacer preferably includes two inner surfaces formed in the spacer's through hole that align with the mounting surfaces of the sleeve. This ensures the spacer is properly aligned with respect to the sleeve and the connection seat, and secures the spacer against rotation.

[0018] The sleeve of the fastening element preferably comprises two protrusions formed on each of the mounting surfaces. The protrusions of the sleeve are clamped into the seat connection opening of the connecting seat. This prevents the sleeve from becoming detached from the connecting seat before fastening.

[0019] Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given below. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given for illustrative purposes only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, which are given for illustrative purposes only and therefore do not limit the present invention, in which Fig. 1 shows an assembled perspective view of a drum brake assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is another assembled perspective view of the drum brake assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the drum brake assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is another exploded perspective view of the drum brake assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a front view of the drum brake assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6 a sectional view along the line 6-6 in Fig. 5 is; Fig. 7 an enlarged view of a part of Fig. 6 is; Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a fastener of the drum brake assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 9 a sectional view along the line 9-9 in Fig. 5 is; and Fig. 10 an enlarged view of a part of Fig. 9 is. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] First, it should be noted that the same or similar reference numerals used in the following embodiment and the accompanying drawings denote the same or similar elements or their structural features throughout the specification for the purpose of clearly illustrating the present invention.

[0022] With reference to the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a drum brake assembly 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a drum ring 10, a disc 20, a connecting seat 30, and ten fastening elements 40. The present invention is not limited in the number of fastening elements 40, which can be modified according to structural requirements. Furthermore, in the present invention, the drum ring 10 and the connecting seat 30 are connected to each other to form a drum of the drum brake assembly 1 of the present invention.

[0023] The drum brake assembly 1 is designed to be attached to the axle bolt of a vehicle wheel (not shown) and rotated together with the vehicle wheel, thereby defining a rotation axis, i.e., the X-axis shown in the figures. In the present invention, the positive direction of the X-axis is defined as the first direction, and the negative direction of the X-axis is defined as the second direction. Furthermore, the term "transverse" used in the present invention refers to any direction perpendicular to the aforementioned rotation axis, i.e., perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. In other words, the term "transverse" used in the present invention refers to the position in the YZ plane.Therefore, the transverse size of each component mentioned in the present invention refers to the size, such as the width or diameter, defined on the YZ plane, and the shape of the cross section of each component mentioned in the present invention refers to its cross-sectional shape on the YZ plane.

[0024] The present invention is unlimited with regard to the shapes of the drum ring 10, the disc 20 and the connecting seat 30.

[0025] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the drum ring 10 comprises a ring body 11 and a fixing ring plate 12 that is annularly connected to the ring body and extends horizontally and radially outward. The ring body 11 is shaped as a circular tube, forming an inner peripheral surface 111. The inner peripheral surface 111 is configured to engage the drum brake shoes of a drum brake (not shown). The fixing ring plate 12 includes a plurality of convex projections arranged at equal intervals around the circumference of the ring body 11 and a plurality of drum connecting holes 121 each passing through the convex projections. The material of the drum ring 10 is preferably a material with a relatively high specific gravity, such as cast iron, steel, etc., which provides the drum ring 10 with relatively high rigidity and wear resistance.

[0026] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the disc 20 is designed to engage the brake pads of a disc brake (not shown). The disc 20 has a central hole 20a. The inner wall of the central hole 20a has a front surface 21 facing in the first direction (the positive direction of the X-axis). The disc 20 has a rear surface 22 facing in the second direction (the negative direction of the X-axis), a plurality of projections 23 formed on the inner wall of the central hole 20a and arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the central hole 20a, and ten disc connecting holes 24 penetrating the projections 23. The material of the disc 20 can be general cast iron or steel, or a relatively lightweight composite material of ceramic and carbon fiber. That is, the disc can be a cast iron disc, a steel disc, or a ceramic-carbon disc. In this embodiment, the disc 20 with a ventilated configuration is used.However, the present invention may also utilize a disk with a solid configuration. During assembly, as shown in . Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the ring body 11 of the drum ring 10 is inserted into the central bore 20a of the disc 20 such that the fastening ring plate 12 of the drum ring 10 abuts the projections 23 of the disc 20 and the drum connecting bores 121 are respectively aligned with the disc connecting bores 24.

[0027] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the material of the connecting seat 30 is preferably a material with a relatively lower specific gravity, such as an aluminum alloy. That is, the specific gravity of the material of the connecting seat 30 should be smaller than the specific gravity of the material of the drum ring 10, so that the drum composed of the connecting seat 30 and the drum ring 10 has a relatively lighter overall structure, thereby achieving the objective of the present invention that the drum is lightweight. Furthermore, the connecting seat 30 includes a front side 31, a rear side 32, a seat tube 33, ten seat connection holes 34, and an outer peripheral surface 35. The rear side 32 includes a central portion 322, an outer periphery 323, and a peripheral portion 324. The seat tube 33 is connected to the front side 31 and formed with a seat space 331, as shown in Figure 4. Fig. 3. The inner surface of the seat tube 33 has a stepped section. During assembly, as shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 7, the annular body 11 of the drum ring 10 is received in the seating space 331 of the connecting seat 30, wherein the outer surface of the annular body 11 is in surface contact with the inner surface of the seat tube 33, and the stepped portion of the inner surface of the seat tube 33 can be locked to the annular end surface of the annular body 11. In this way, at least a part of the drum ring 10 is located in the central bore 20a of the disc 20, and the connecting seat 30 can be firmly connected to the drum ring 10. In addition, the connecting seat 30 has a part that is disposed in the central bore 20a of the disc 20 and another part that protrudes from the central bore 20a. In addition, the seat connection opening 34 includes a recess 341 and an insertion opening 347. The recess 341 includes a recess opening 342, an inner edge 343, an outer edge 344, an inner bottom surface 345, and a recess inner wall 346.The insertion opening 347 includes an opening 348.

[0028] The front side 31 is oriented in the first direction. The rear side 32 is oriented in the second direction. The seat connection holes 34 penetrate the front and rear sides 31 and 32. The outer peripheral surface 35 is formed on the outer edge of the peripheral portion 324.

[0029] The central region 322 of the rear side 32 of the connecting seat 30 is formed as a circular annular plane and has a plurality of installation holes for the axle bolts (not shown) to be inserted therein for fastening. The edge region 324 is located at the edge of the central region 322 and is slightly curved. The edge region 324 extends obliquely outward and forward from the outer peripheral surface 323 of the central region 322 to the outer peripheral surface 35 of the connecting seat 30. The above word "outward" means moving away from the outer peripheral surface 323, and the above word "forward" means moving toward the front side 31. The recess 341 of each seat connecting hole 34 is recessed relative to the peripheral region 324 of the rear side 32 of the connecting seat 30. The recess opening 342 of the recess 341 is located in the edge region 324.The inner edge 343 of the recess opening 342 is relatively closer to the outer peripheral surface 323 of the central portion 322. The outer edge 344 is opposite the inner edge 343 and is located on the outer peripheral surface 35 of the connecting seat 30. The inner bottom surface 345 of the recess 341 is connected to the outer edge 344 of the recess opening 342. The recess inner wall 346 extends from the inner edge 343 of the recess opening 342 to the inner bottom surface 345. The insertion opening 347 extends from the inner bottom surface 345 of the recess 341 to the front side 31 of the connecting seat 30. The openings 348 respectively open the insertion openings 347 of the seat connecting holes 34 and the outer peripheral surface 35.

[0030] As in Fig. 8, each of the fastening elements 40 is arranged in the drum connecting hole 121 of the drum ring 10, the disc connecting hole 24 of the disc 20 and the seat connecting hole 34 of the connecting seat 30 to connect the drum ring 10, the disc 20 and the connecting seat 30 to each other, which will be explained in more detail below.

[0031] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 8, each fastener 40 includes a bolt 41, a spacer 42, a sleeve 43, and a nut 44. The bolt 41 includes a head portion 411 and a rod portion 412 that are connected to each other. The shaft portion 412 includes a threaded portion 414 located at the end of the shaft portion 412. The spacer 42 is an approximately rectangular thin plate with four rounded corners, but two long sides 421 thereof are slightly arcuate to conform to the shape of the connecting seat 30, although the present invention is not limited thereto. The spacer 42 includes a spacer through-hole 423 located at the center of the spacer 42.The spacer through-hole 423 has an approximately circular shape in cross section, but its inner wall is partially formed as a plane 424 instead of an arcuate surface, and partially formed as two opposing inner surfaces 425. In other words, the spacer through-hole 423 is not circular. The sleeve 43 includes a stopper portion 431, an insertion portion 432, a sleeve through-hole 437, two side surfaces 438, and two fitting surfaces 439. The insertion portion 432 includes a large insertion portion 433, a middle insertion portion 434, an inclined portion 435, and a small insertion portion 436, which are connected in order from the stopper portion 431 and arranged in the order described above in their transverse size from large to small.In addition, the sleeve through-hole 437 penetrates the stopper portion 431, the large insertion portion 433, the middle insertion portion 434, the inclined portion 435, and the small insertion portion 436. Each mounting surface 439 is provided with a protrusion 439a.

[0032] As in the Fig. 6 to Fig. 10, during assembly, the insertion portion 432 of the sleeve 43 is inserted from the rear side 32 of the connecting seat 30 through the seat connecting hole 34 of the connecting seat 30 and the through hole 423 of the spacer 42 in this order, and inserted into the disk connecting hole 24 of the disk 20, so that the large insertion portion 433 is disposed in the seat connecting hole 34 of the connecting seat 30, the middle insertion portion 434 and the inclined portion 435 are disposed in the spacer through hole 423 of the spacer 42, the small insertion portion 436 is disposed in the disk connecting hole 24 of the disk 20, and the spacer 42 is clamped between the rear side 22 of the disk 20 and the front side 31 of the connecting seat 30.Then, the rod portion 412 of the bolt 41 is inserted through the sleeve through-hole 437 of the sleeve 43 from the drum connection hole 121 of the drum ring 10, and the threaded portion 414 of the bolt 41 protrudes from the stopper portion 431 of the sleeve 43. Finally, the nut 44 is tightly screwed onto the threaded portion 414 of the bolt 41, so that the head portion 411 of the bolt 41 abuts the drum ring 10, the nut 44 abuts the connection seat 30, and the drum ring 10, the washer 20, the spacer 42, the connection seat 30, and the abutment portion 431 of the sleeve 43 are clamped between the head portion 411 of the bolt 41 and the nut 44. In this way, the drum ring 10, the washer 20, and the connection seat 30 are firmly connected to each other. The shape and size relationships between the individual parts of the sleeve and the individual through holes are explained in more detail below.

[0033] As in the Fig. 6 to Fig. As shown in Figure 10, the abutment portion 431 of the sleeve 43 is approximately rectangular in cross-section and approximately the same in orientation and size as the spacer 42, but two short sides of the abutment portion 431 are arcuate. The large insertion portion 433 of the sleeve 43 is approximately rectangular in cross-section but has four rounded corners, and its two short sides are each flush with the two long sides of the abutment portion 431, so that they together form two side surfaces 438 of the sleeve 43. In other words, the two side surfaces 438 are located on two opposite sides of the sleeve 43, and each side surface 438 is simultaneously located on the abutment portion 431 and the large insertion portion 433. The two installation surfaces 439 of the sleeve 43 are perpendicular to the two side surfaces 438 and are located on two sides. The two installation surfaces 439 are received in the insertion opening 347 of the connecting seat 30.The distance between the two mounting surfaces 439 is smaller than the distance between the two side surfaces 438, and the mounting surfaces 439 can rest on the inner sides 425 of the spacer 42.

[0034] When assembly is complete, the large insertion portion 433 of the sleeve 43 is disposed in the insertion opening 347 of the seat connection opening 34, the abutment portion 431 of the sleeve 43 is disposed in the recess 341 of the seat connection opening 34 and abuts the inner bottom surface 345. One of the side surfaces 438 of the sleeve 43 is aligned with and tightly disposed against the inner wall 346 of the recess, and the other side surface 438 does not protrude beyond the outer peripheral surface 35 of the connection seat 30. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer edge 344 of the recess opening 342 of the recess 341 is directly connected to the opening 348 of the insertion hole 347, whereby the large insertion portion 433 of the sleeve 43 can enter the insertion hole 347 of the seat connecting hole 34 through the opening 348, which facilitates assembly.

[0035] In this embodiment, the connecting seat 30 has the part formed by the peripheral region 324, giving it a thicker structure. Thus, the structural strength is relatively higher. Furthermore, it can be provided with the above-mentioned recess 341 so that the abutment portion 431 of the sleeve 43 can be positioned in the recess 341, thus further enhancing the effect of the fastening element 40 that secures the disc 20 to the connecting seat 30.

[0036] The abutment portion 431 of the sleeve 43 has two opposing planes 431a that conform in shape to the connecting seat 30. Furthermore, two grooves 431b are formed between the abutment portion 431 and the large insertion portion 433. When assembly is completed, the abutment portion 431 abuts against the inner bottom surface 345 of the connecting seat 30. The large insertion portion 433 of the sleeve 43 and the insertion opening 347 of the seat connecting opening 34 of the connecting seat 30 are both non-circular in cross-section. For example, in this embodiment, they are both approximately rectangular. Such a feature can prevent the sleeve 43 from rotating relative to the connecting seat 30, thereby further enhancing the fastening effect of the fastener 40.The transverse dimension of the short side of the large insertion portion 433 of the sleeve 43 is approximately equal to the diameter of the spacer through-hole 423 of the spacer 42, and the transverse dimension of the long side of the large insertion portion 433 is larger than the diameter of the spacer through-hole 423. Therefore, the large insertion portion 433 cannot enter the spacer through-hole 423. The middle insertion portion 434 of the sleeve 43 is matched in its transverse dimension to the spacer through-hole 423, meaning that their dimensions are approximately the same, so that the middle insertion portion 434 just fits into the spacer through-hole 423. More specifically, the middle insertion portion 434 is approximately circular in cross-section, but three sides thereof are each shaped as a plane 434a, only two of which are shown in FIG. Fig.8. The diameter of the medium insertion portion 434 is only slightly smaller than the diameter of the spacer through-hole 423, and the planes 434a correspond in position and size to the plane 424 of the spacer through-hole 423. When assembly is completed, one of the planes 434a of the medium insertion portion 434 is in surface contact with the plane 424 of the spacer through-hole 423. In other words, the medium insertion portion 434 and the spacer through-hole 423 are both non-circular in cross-section. This feature can limit rotation of the sleeve 43 and the spacer 42 relative to each other, thereby further enhancing the fastening effect of the fastener 40. The inclined portion 435 of the sleeve 43 has a circular shape in cross section, and its diameter gradually decreases from the medium insertion portion 434 to the small insertion portion 436.The small insertion portion 436 is formed as a cylinder with a uniform diameter, and its diameter is smaller than the diameter of the middle insertion portion 434 and approximately equal to the diameter of the disc combination opening 24 of the disc 20, so that the small insertion portion 436 can be accurately inserted into the disc combination opening 24.

[0037] By the fastening device 40 described above, the spacer 42 is clamped between the disc 20 and the connecting seat 30, and the spacer 42 can be made of a material with relatively high elasticity and even be formed into a curved shape or other elastically deformable shapes, so that in the state in which the front and rear surfaces 21 and 22 of the disc 20 abut the nut 44 and the spacer 42, the elasticity of the spacer 42 makes the disc 20 still slightly movable axially relative to the connecting seat 30, which means that the disc 20 can have a slight floating effect.

[0038] In the above-described embodiment, the sleeve 43 is first inserted through the seat connection hole 34 of the connection seat 30 and the through hole 423 of the spacer 42, and then inserted into the disk connection hole 24 of the disk 20, so that the seat connection hole 34, the spacer through hole 423, and the disk connection hole 24 conform in shape to the larger, medium, and small insertion portions 433, 434, and 436, and are arranged from large to small in the transverse direction. However, the sleeve 43 may be arranged in the opposite direction so that the abutment portion 431 of the sleeve 43 abuts the front surface 21 of the disk 20, provided the corresponding through holes are modified accordingly.

[0039] Furthermore, the bolt 41 may be arranged in the opposite direction, meaning that the head portion 411 of the bolt 41 and the nut 44 may be positionally interchanged. However, arranging the sleeve 43 and the bolt 41 in the directions shown in the above-described embodiment is relatively more advantageous for manufacturing and assembly and can achieve a relatively better fastening effect.

[0040] In addition, the sleeve 43 of the fastening element 40 includes the two grooves 431b formed between the abutment portion 431 and the large insertion portion 433, so that the inner edge of the inner bottom surface 345 of the connecting seat 30 can be received in the grooves 431b, whereby the sleeve 43 of the fastening element 40 perfectly fits the connecting seat 30.

[0041] In addition, the sleeve 43 of the fastening element 40 includes two mounting surfaces 439, which are perpendicular to the two side surfaces 438 and opposite each other. The two mounting surfaces 439 are received in the insertion opening 347 of the connecting seat 30. The distance between the two mounting surfaces 439 is smaller than the distance between the two side surfaces 438. This ensures the correct alignment of the sleeve 43 when installed in the connecting seat 30.

[0042] Additionally, the spacer 42 of the fastener 40 includes two inner surfaces 425 formed in the through-hole 423 of the spacer and aligning with the mounting surfaces 439 of the sleeve 43. Therefore, the spacer 42 can be ensured in the correct alignment with respect to the sleeve 43 and the connecting seat 30, and the spacer 42 is even secured against rotation.

[0043] Furthermore, the sleeve 43 of the fastening element 40 includes two protrusions 439a formed on the mounting surfaces 439, respectively. The two protrusions 439a of the sleeve 43 can be clamped in the insertion opening 347 of the connecting seat 30 to prevent the sleeve 43 from detaching from the connecting seat before fastening.

[0044] It should be noted that the fastening device provided in the present invention is not limited to that disclosed in the above embodiment. For example, the fastening device may comprise only a bolt 41 and a nut 44. The bolt 41 is screwed through the drum connecting hole 121 of the drum ring 10, the disc connecting hole 24 of the disc 20, and the seat connecting hole 34 of the connecting seat 30, and into the nut 44, so that the drum ring 10, the disc 20, and the connecting seat 30 are clamped between the head portion 411 of the bolt 41 and the nut 44. This can also achieve the effect of fastening the drum ring 10, the disc 20, and the connecting seat 30 together.

[0045] In summary, the drum ring 10 and the connecting seat 30 provided in the present invention can be combined to form the drum of the drum brake assembly 1. In addition, by arranging that the specific gravity of the material of the connecting seat 30 is smaller than the specific gravity of the material of the drum ring 10, for example, by arranging that the connecting seat 30 is made of an aluminum alloy and the drum ring 10 is made of cast iron, the drum provided in the present invention, that is, the combination of the drum ring 10 and the connecting seat 30, has a lighter overall weight than the conventional drum integrally made of cast iron. In addition, the drum ring 10 made of the material with a relatively larger specific gravity imparts the desired rigidity and wear resistance to the drum, so that the object of the present invention is achieved.

[0046] From the description of the invention, it will be apparent that it may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the scope of the invention, and all modifications obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

[0047] A drum brake device includes a drum ring having an inner peripheral surface against which drum brake shoes abut, and a plurality of drum connecting holes arranged around the inner peripheral surface; a disc having a central hole and a plurality of disc connecting holes arranged on the inner wall of the central hole; a connecting seat having a central portion secured by axle bolts and a plurality of seat connecting holes arranged around the central portion; and a plurality of fasteners inserted into the drum connecting holes of the drum ring, the disc connecting holes of the disc, and the seat connecting holes of the connecting seat to firmly connect the drum, the disc, and the connecting seat. The drum ring is at least partially located in the central opening of the disc.The connecting seat is connected to the drum ring, is partially located in the central opening of the disc, and partially protrudes from the central opening. The specific gravity of the material of the connecting seat is lower than the specific gravity of the material of the drum ring. This makes the present invention lightweight overall, with high structural rigidity and wear resistance.

Claims

[1] Drum brake arrangement (1), characterized by that it includes: a drum ring (10) having an inner peripheral surface (111) against which a drum brake shoe abuts, and a plurality of drum connecting holes (121) arranged around the inner peripheral surface (111); a disc (20) having a central bore (20a) and a plurality of disc combination holes (24) arranged on an inner wall of the central bore (20a); a connecting seat (30) having a central region (322) for fastening with an axle bolt and a plurality of seat connecting holes (34) arranged around the central region (322), wherein the specific gravity of a material of the connecting seat (30) is smaller than the specific gravity of a material of the drum ring (10); and a plurality of fastening elements (40) which are inserted into the drum connecting holes (121) of the drum ring (10), the disc connecting holes (24) of the disc (20) and the seat connecting holes (34) of the connecting seat (30) in order to firmly connect the drum ring (10), the disc (20) and the connecting seat (30) to one another, so that at least a part of the drum ring (10) is arranged in the central bore (20a) of the disc (20) and the connecting seat (30) is coupled to the drum ring (10) and has a part arranged in the central bore (20a) of the disc (20) and a part protruding from the central bore (20a). [2] Drum brake arrangement (1) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the material of the drum ring (10) is made of cast iron or steel; that the material of the disc (20) is made of cast iron, steel or a composite material of ceramic and carbon fiber; that the material of the connecting seat (30) is made of an aluminum alloy. [3] Drum brake arrangement (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the drum ring (10) comprises an annular body (11) and a fastening ring plate (12) which is connected to the annular body (11) in a ring shape and extends horizontally and radially; that the inner circumferential surface (111) is provided on the annular body (11); that the drum connection holes (121) penetrate the fastening ring plate (12). [4] Drum brake arrangement (1) according to claim 3, characterized bythat the inner wall of the central bore (20a) of the disc (20) has a plurality of projections (23); that each of the projections (23) has one of the disc combination bores (24); that the fastening ring plate (12) of the drum ring (10) bears against the projections (23) of the disc (20) such that the drum connecting holes (121) are respectively aligned with the disc connecting holes (24). [5] Drum brake arrangement (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by that the connecting seat (30) comprises a seat tube (33) and a seat space (331) formed in the seat tube (33); that the annular body (11) of the drum ring (10) is received in the seat space (331) of the connecting seat (30) and is in contact with an inner surface of the seat tube (33). [6] Drum brake arrangement (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized bythat the disc (20) has a plurality of projections (23) forming the inner wall of the central bore (20a); that the disc combination bores (24) each pass through the projections (23). [7] Drum brake device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by that the fastening element (40) comprises a bolt (41) and a nut (44); that the bolt (41) is inserted through the drum connection hole (121) of the drum ring (10), the disc connection hole (24) of the disc (20) and the seat connection hole (34) of the connection seat (30) and is screwed into the nut (44) so ​​that the drum ring (10), the disc (20) and the connection seat (30) are clamped between a head portion (411) of the bolt (41) and the nut (44). [8] Drum brake arrangement (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized bythat the fastening element (40) comprises a bolt (41), a sleeve (43), a spacer (42), and a nut (44); that the spacer (42) is clamped between a rear side (22) of the disc (20) and a front side (31) of the connecting seat (30) and comprises a spacer through-hole (423); that the sleeve (43) comprises a stop portion (431) and an insertion portion (432) which are connected to each other, and a sleeve through-hole (437) which penetrates the stop portion (431) and the insertion portion (432); that the insertion portion (432) of the sleeve (43) is arranged in the disc merging opening (24), the seat connecting opening (34), and the spacer through-hole (423); that the bolt (41) comprises a head portion (411) and a rod portion (412) which are connected to each other; that the rod portion (412) is inserted through the sleeve through-bore (437) and comprises a threaded portion (414);that the nut (44) is screwed tightly onto the threaded portion (414) so ​​that the drum ring (10), the washer (20), the spacer (42), the connecting seat (30) and the abutment portion (431) of the sleeve (43) are clamped between the head portion (411) of the bolt (41) and the nut (44); [9] Drum brake arrangement (1) according to claim 8, characterized by that the sleeve (43) of the fastening element (40) has two grooves (431b) formed on the abutment portion (431); that each of the seat combination holes (34) has a recess (341); that the recess (341) has an inner bottom surface (345); that an inner edge of the inner bottom surface (345) is received in the groove (431b). [10] Drum brake arrangement (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized bythat the sleeve (43) of the fastening element (40) has two opposing mounting surfaces (439); that the mounting surfaces (439) are received in the seat connection opening (34) of the connecting seat (30). [11] Drum brake arrangement (1) according to claim 10, characterized by that the spacer (42) of the fastening element (40) has two inner sides (425) which are formed in the through-bore (423) of the spacer and fit together with the mounting surfaces (439) of the sleeve (43). [12] Drum brake arrangement (1) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized by that the sleeve (43) of the fastening element (40) has two elevations (439a) which are respectively formed on the mounting surfaces (439); that the elevations (439a) of the sleeve (43) are clamped in the seat connection opening (34) of the connection seat (30).

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